U.S. Mining Operations Recognized for Outstanding Safety Performance

Las Vegas, Nev. – The National Mining Association (NMA) today recognized 21 U.S. coal, metal and nonmetal mining operations for their outstanding safety record in 2011.

The “Sentinels of Safety,” awarded annually to the nation’s safest mining operations with a minimum of 4,000 injury-free hours, this year was awarded to six coal and 15 metal and nonmetal mining operations. Mines compete in twenty different categories that reflect type and size, both surface and underground.

“The mines we honor today symbolize our industry’s continuing efforts to make U.S. mining the safest in the world,” said Frank McAllister, NMA’s incoming chairman and chairman and CEO of Stillwater Mining Company, “They serve as an inspiration to the entire industry for achieving that goal.”

This year’s Sentinels of Safety winners are just a few among the many other U.S. mines that operated throughout 2011 without a single lost-time injury. In addition to the award winners, the top four operations in each category received a certificate of recognition for meeting or exceeding the Sentinels award criteria (see link below). “Sustaining year-to-year improvements in mine safety has become the top priority of U.S. mines,” NMA President and CEO Hal Quinn remarked during the awards presentations.

This year’s annual Sentinels Awards luncheon, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center during NMA’s MINExpo INTERNATIONAL® 2012 mining equipment, products and services exhibition, also featured the inaugural Mine Safety and Health Technology Innovations Awards sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Sentinels of Safety awards were initiated in 1925 by then Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover and remain the nation’s most prestigious awards for recognizing safety in coal, metal and nonmetal mines.

The 2011 Sentinels of Safety Award winners in all categories are as follows:
Large Company Award Winners:

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